The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 2 — Section 221

worldly maxims and moral rules which guide ordinary men. It may be right to resent insult, but, from the Christian standpoint, it is much more right to bear it, and be patient under it, and forgive it. And suc/1 righteousness is illustrated in the scenes of our Lord's trial, when contumely was heaped upon him. Show that few things offer a severer test of Ohristian virtue than unprovoked and unreasonable insult. By it even the watchful man may be taken at unawares, and be suddenly moved to passion. Only the constant habit of thinking before we speak, and letting the moments of thinking be- moments of prayer, can keep us in the trying hour, St. Paul's regret for his hasty words would be more profound before God than before men. He found a serious and humbling lesson in this mistake. Impress how often we err, and disgrace our Christian profession, by the tone and temper in which we "a.newer back."-R, T. Ver. 6.-The resurrectim a dividing doctrine, If the supposition be a correct ono that, just at this time, there was no high priest, we can well understand how easily divisions and contentions might be aroused in the mixed council, where party feeling was always strong. The Pharisees and Sa.dducees were really more political than ecclesias- tical parties ; they had distinct lines of thought, and conflicted for the positions of supreme influence in the ecclesiastico-political life of the nation. Both parties vigorously opposed Christianity, but the Pharisees on the ground of its teaching&--as they thought them-against Mosaism, and of its degrading the national hope of Messiah, by affirming that he had come in the person of the Galiliean Jesus. The Sadducees on the ground chiefly of the disciples' affirmation that Jesus had risen from the dead, which, they were quick to see, if once admitted, involved the truth of our Lord's claim to the Messiahship. St. Paul evidently estimated, quickly and skilfully, the character of the judges before whom he was brought, and easily turned them from the consideration of his case to mere party wrangling. He saw, plainly enough, that there was no chance of a fair judgment from either party. If we must recognize some guilefulness in St. Paul's conduct on this occasion, we must remember that he had to deal with party prejudice and unreasoning hatred, and he was justified in securing his deliveraJ1-;e by such a quick-witted device, We observe- I. TBAT THE JEWISH BESUBBEOTION WAS A.' DBE.ill OBA DOCTRINE, To the Sadducees a mere superstitious dream, to the Pharisees an important doctrine. Hints of it are found in the earlier Scriptures, but the Old Testament has no clear testimony on the subject. This is not really remarkable, because Mosaism did not take this point of view ; it did not demand obedience upon the promise of the " life to come,'' but upon promise of " the life that now is." 'l'houghts of resurrection and eternal life do not properly come to a Jew as a Jew, only to a Jew as a personally devout, God-fearing man, with an individual spiritual life of fellowship with God. Therefore the psalmists and prophets alone give us hints of resurrection. See what helps come to the idea (1) from the translations of Enoch and Elijah; (2) from the resurrections to natural life wrought by Elijah and Elisha; (3) from the expressions used in the Book of Job, and in the Psalms; and (4) from allusions in the prophets. Exactly in what sense the Pharisees believed in resurrection it is difficult to say. Clearly they had no notion of that spiritual body in which Christ reappeared among men, and we also must appear. Probably they held the doctrine very much as we hold some of our doctrines, merely for a battle-ground. The Sadducees had not much difficulty in showing that auch a resurrection was a mere dream. II. TBAT THE CwusTIAN RESURRECTION IS A TRUTH AND A HOPE. St. Paul calls it here a hope, but it is really a troth upon which we may build our hopes. Illustrate by showing what St. Paul writes about it-about its foundations and about its vital importance to the Christian-in 1 Cor. xv. To him it was no mere dividing doctrine, though among foes he ventured so to use it; to him it was infinitely sure and infinitely precious-the message to him of his Redeemer's own resurrection. He laboured, if " by any means he might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. n ill. WHEREIN KAY WE FIND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE JEWISH AND THE Cl!BISTIAN IDEAS 01' RESURRECTION? We only note one of the more important differences. Pharisees had only, as aids t.o their conception, cases of resurrection which were merely a temporary restoration of bodily life. All the risen ones they ~uld know of died a natural death. Ohristians take their conception from the 228 THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES. [ OH. ll.Ill, 1-36,